ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Here are my five takes from the Buffalo Bills’ 48-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Highmark Stadium:
1. The outcome reinforces that the Bills remain the team to beat in the AFC East and a leading Super Bowl contender.
It was much easier than many had anticipated, with the Bills dominating in every phase and receiving a big assist from a crowd of more than 70,000.
“I don’t think I’ve heard a crowd that loud in my career in the NFL,” coach Sean McDermott said. “There were times when we couldn’t even communicate with the middle linebacker out there (to relay defensive signals). … Amazing, amazing environment. … It sounded like a jet engine. It was deafening.”
The Bills put on a spectacular offensive show that overshadowed a Dolphins club that put up 70 points seven days earlier and entered the game as the NFL leader in scoring. The Bills’ defense also had answers for virtually everything the Dolphins tried to do on offense.
The talk before the game was all about Mike McDaniel’s brilliant offensive scheming, the ability to utilize the immense speed at his disposal to the fullest. That barely happened Sunday, with Sean McDermott putting together a scheme and calling signals that erased much of the impact of Miami’s track team of play-makers.
The bottom line here is that speed kills, but power can kill speed.
2. Josh Allen put himself at or at least near the top of early NFL MVP consideration.
Tua Tagovailoa had been considered the leader entering the game, but Allen’s play cast a huge shadow over the Dolphins’ quarterback. Allen completed 21 of 25 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns, three to Stefon Diggs, and had a perfect passer rating of 158.3 for the first time since entering the NFL in 2018. He also ran for a fifth TD. Tagovailoa threw for 262 yards, a touchdown and had an interception. He also was sacked four times, twice by Greg Rousseau, who is having a breakout season so far.
Allen was spectacular. Besides the scoring plays, he also showed impressive improvisation. He was consistently patient and decisive, which isn’t easy to do against the scheming of Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
“Our thought process, every time we touch the ball is to score, whether that be six or three,” Allen said. “No turnovers today, which is great, but I still think there’s some things we can clean up. As good as it looked out there, the film is never as bad, it’s never as good as you think. There’s a lot to learn from.”
As high-scoring as the game was, Allen was mostly disciplined and sound in all that he did. The Bills’ offense moved with machine-like efficiency all day, with long, plodding drives that wore down the Dolphins’ defense.
“It think we’re incorporating the run game very well; obviously, play-action off of that,” Allen said of the fact the Bills ran 29 times for 104 yards and two TDs. “I think our guys are getting open and making plays. Our O-line is giving defensive fronts different looks and we’re moving those guys around, doing a good job with that. Kudos to (offensive line coach Aaron) Kromer and (offensive coordinator Ken) Dorsey for calling that. But our defense put us in some really good situations today.
“Knowing we have them on the other side of the football is just a lot of confidence.”
3. Sean McDermott, take a bow.
You have been beyond impressive in your side gig as the Bills’ defensive coordinator all season. Sunday was your greatest masterpiece.
“That’s an explosive group, one of the most explosive groups I think you can put on paper to ever play in this league,” Allen said. “I thought Coach McDermott did a good job of scheming things. But we’re gonna see those guys again and they’re gonna give us their best shot and we’ve got to be ready for that, but we’ll focus on it.”
Holding the Dolphins to three touchdowns is a major accomplishment, and doing so while keeping Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in check. Waddle had four catches and Hill had three, and each had no TDs, making it even more remarkable.
The Bills had two turnovers. Their defensive front not only sacked Tua Tagovailoa four times, but also harassed him throughout the game.
“Watching the tape from last week (the Dolphins’ 70-20 victory against Denver), big play, after big play, after big play, after big play,” safety Micah Hyde said. “Not just from the receivers, the backs, the quarterback, everybody. Ultimately, we’re a defense that tries not to give up big plays. Everybody can say that around the league, but we’ve been successful doing that since 2017. So, we’re going to stick to our DNA and from there, let’s roll the ball out and see what happens. So, that’s kind of our mindset.”
4. The win did appear come with a crushing price, with cornerback Tre’Davious White suffering an Achilles injury.
White seemed to be finally working his way back to full form from the torn ACL he suffered during Thanksgiving win at New Orleans in 2021. Though the severity has yet to be revealed, the latest setback could very well keep him off the field at least until the start of the 2024 season, assuming he’s able to return.
McDermott and multiple Bills players became emotional when talking about their injured teammate.
“He’s been through a lot and sometimes you wonder, right, why things like that happen twice to someone,” McDermott said. “I’m not saying what it is, what it isn’t. I’m just saying you just wonder why. Because you’ve watched how hard he’s worked to get back. I know he’s a man of faith and I know how strong he is, and he will rebound.”
Christian Benford left the game temporarily with a shoulder injury and had to be replaced by Dane Jackson. The Bills’ depth at cornerback will now receive a stern test, given that Kaiir Elam has been a healthy scratch all season because of his disappointing performance.
5. The Bills could go on a significant run from here.
Their next seven games are against highly beatable opponents: Jacksonville in London, the Giants at home, at New England, Tampa Bay at home, at Cincinnati, Denver at home and the Jets at home.
It is an opportunity to build some major momentum before traveling to Philadelphia and Kansas City in consecutive games that sandwich a bye.
“It still think we have more,” Allen said. “We’re gonna have to learn a lot from this tape and find ways to get better. But we left a lot out there and we’re focused on correcting those things.”